My "Elliot Automatic Frozen Fish Food Feeder"

[dotcommer]

Since Elliot created this system for his 900 Gallon Reef, and since he has been so gracious in sharing and helping me with the design of this automatic frozen fish food feeder, I thought it was best to name it the "Elliot Automatic Frozen Fish Food Feeder" :spin3:

Here are some pics of where I am so far.

 

[dotcommer]

 

[dotcommer]

Here is where we are tonight.

Still need to add the blow dryer and a few more things, then it will be ready to be plumbed into my system.

 

[vincent92]

Looks awesome

 

[dotcommer]

Thanks, looking forward to getting it finished.

 

[Weyrman]

How awesome! Looks great!

I was going to ask where the blow dryer was until I got to your post where you said that you needed to get that.

I have to ask. And if I don't someone else will. Is this an exact replica or a modified version of the legendary "Elliot Automatic Frozen Fish Food Feeder"?


If it's modified would you mind sharing your diversions from Elliot's version? And perhaps why the diversion was made?

 

[dotcommer]

How awesome! Looks great!

I was going to ask where the blow dryer was until I got to your post where you said that you needed to get that.

I have to ask. And if I don't someone else will. Is this an exact replica or a modified version of the legendary "Elliot Automatic Frozen Fish Food Feeder"?


If it's modified would you mind sharing your diversions from Elliot's version? And perhaps why the diversion was made?

It's pretty much an exact duplicate with a few minor changes. The modifications were mostly cosmetic and we added in some changes that he recommended, like the ability to easily remove the section where the water passes though, just to clean it if needed.

He designed his system with the intention of making it better, but since it has worked so well for him, he decided why mess with something that has worked flawlessly.

The next project is to duplicate his FRAG QT system. It's a simple brilliant idea, that works incredibly well.

 

[Weyrman]

I've seen Elliot's set up and it's well thought out. You can't go wrong duplicating it!

Will be looking forward to your updates.

 

[SaltyTony]

I have never seen something like this before. Amazing! Can't wait to see updates.

 

[zrogst]

You guys and your DIY. Such awesome stuff. For the rest of us, Avast Marine should be putting out their frozen auto feeder "soon"

 

[dotcommer]

I have never seen something like this before. Amazing! Can't wait to see updates.

Thanks, the one Elliot built has been working great.

The one condition my wife put on me about putting up a big reef tank, was that she didn't want it to tie us to our home. She loves to vacation with the kids and wanted to make sure that I could leave for weeks at a time.

I am putting a lot of automation into my build specifically for this reason. Having a person come out every few days isn't bad, I just don't want to rely on someone feeding too much as with other things I am automating. My build tread will have more updates and pics.

You guys and your DIY. Such awesome stuff. For the rest of us, Avast Marine should be putting out their frozen auto feeder "soon"

It will be a great addition to the community. I watched their video, but they didn't show anything except for food being dispensed into the tank. They had no pics of the unit and no info on how it is going to work, how many day supply etc... But I am very glad to see a product like that coming to market.

 

[tcamos]

I love the pure insanity of this kind of mod. I wish I were handy to I could pull it off. I'm just not blessed with the DIY gene.

 

[SaltyTony]

dotcommer - Thanks for the link to your build thread. What an incredible build! I read it from page 1 through 9. You've got some cute kiddos and are very blessed. Me and the misses had similar experience with trying to have kiddos and after we had given up, low and behold that is when we were blessed with one. I will be following that cool build thread. (I wish I had a basement. I actually thought houses in AZ didn't come with them.)

 

[afishionado]

It will be a great addition to the community. I watched their video, but they didn't show anything except for food being dispensed into the tank. They had no pics of the unit and no info on how it is going to work, how many day supply etc... But I am very glad to see a product like that coming to market.

Because it contains proprietary build information/techniques, which were still in RD, that Justin & Dan wish to keep private in order to prevent some people, who tend to carbon copy/duplicate others ideas, from ripping off their design before it gets introduced to the market/industry

 

[dotcommer]

Because it contains proprietary build information/techniques, which were still in RD, that Justin & Dan wish to keep private in order to prevent some people, who tend to carbon copy/duplicate others ideas, from ripping off their design before it gets introduced to the market/industry

I can understand why, I am looking forward to seeing it when they have it ready.

 

[dotcommer]

dotcommer - Thanks for the link to your build thread. What an incredible build! I read it from page 1 through 9. You've got some cute kiddos and are very blessed. Me and the misses had similar experience with trying to have kiddos and after we had given up, low and behold that is when we were blessed with one. I will be following that cool build thread. (I wish I had a basement. I actually thought houses in AZ didn't come with them.)

I am so happy to hear you were blessed with one. I know what it is like and I thank God everyday for him. He is an amazing kid and now at 3 years old, OMG, they need to rename the terrible 2's, to the trying 3's.

As of a month ago we now have two more making it six kids. , a 5 and an 11 year old. They are our nephews and we got a call from CPS asking us if we would take them in before they were going to be removed from Grandma's home for some issues and since the mother was in prison, they came to us. Long story, but in the end you are only a kid for such a short time and those are precious years. They are now in a stable drug free home and are doing great.

I think that is one of the reasons I love this hobby so much. It keeps me at home and its my getaway from the chaos of screaming kids running through the house. I go downstairs and start messing with my tanks, its meditation for me and then when I hear the call from my wife, I can be upstairs in 30 seconds or less

 

[EnderG60]

Im a bit confused as to how exactly the lower part of the system works. It looks like you are just running the return water into the 4" barrel and then back to the tank. If thats the case, the fridge should have to be mounted above the tank level....

Or is that just a defrost chamber and the dosing pump then injects the food into the return line?

 

[dotcommer]

Im a bit confused as to how exactly the lower part of the system works. It looks like you are just running the return water into the 4" barrel and then back to the tank. If thats the case, the fridge should have to be mounted above the tank level....

Or is that just a defrost chamber and the dosing pump then injects the food into the return line?

The return pump is pulling the water from the sump through the refrigerator then it hits the return pump gets pressure and is sent to the display tank.

The water level in the refrigerator pipes, are the same level as the return section in the sump. Actually the system works better if the refrigerator was lower then the sump it is feeding from. In either case, the water level in the cylinder tube would match the water level in the return section of the sump. The food drops down from the freezer into the smaller tube which goes into the larger tube. The food floats like an ice cube until it melts, then the food slowly floats down the tube into the water and is sent to the DT.

 

[Stolireef]

The actual name of this feeder is Elliott' Franken Feeder.

 

[ozworld]

Hey dotcommer, any updates on your project?